Sharpening device



June 22, 19418. c. GRAY SHARPENING DEVICE Filed oom 3o, 194e Wwww gal/946 /m/E/vro CHARLES G y, i W H/.s HrroRA/EV.

Patented June 22,1948

pNiTEo snnnrnNlNe Device chanesleray', fet. Louis, M0. npsncanonvoetneereo, 194s, serial No. '106,775

The present invention relates to an 'improved device particularly adapted to more emciently sharpen or hone the cutting edges nfv cutlery, yespecially kitchen and butcher i-cutlery. `As v'isvvellknowm most carvingflmives, bu knives, `Skinning and par-ingknives .their original state have their cutting edgeslconvexlylcentoured. That is, the contour `of the'. cutting :edge from pointto handle, when viewed in :side elevation, is convex. Continued usage and repeated sharpening with conventional Lcontrivanres eventually result in ,a cutting edge concavely contoured along that region thereof which hasthe greatest utility. l,

In other words, conventional :Sharpeners tend to wear away a region of the :biadehetween the handle of the knife .and the vpoint thereofinlsnch manner that the original conv-ex cutting edge is deformedand gradually becomes con-cave or reverselycurved.

VOne of the objects of the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage by the provision [on one face .thereofv of an arcuately formed edgesharpening cavity whosecurvature approxi-mates that 4of .the original, convex cutting edge of the blade, so that manual reciprocation of said blade within said cavity will automatically preserve-'the convexity of said 'cutting edge,`

Another object vof the `invention .is to provide ra beveled guide arrangement facilitating the insertion of cutting edges to be sharpened. O

A .further-object ,is to provide a .second arcuately formed edge-sharpening cavity on the QDDDSG face of the device Whose 4curvature .may .approximate that of .a worn or deformed cutting edge, so that .manual reciprocatienof the blade withinsaid cavity will automatically .safeguard .the cutting edge .against further deformation.

A feature of the 4invention `resulting.from vthe arcuately yformed edge-sharpening ,cavities resides `in the ability, .requiring little .or no skill; to maintain .a substantial portion of thecutting edge in con-tact with the stone .during .manual reciprocation .of the Ablade in sharpening operations.

It is also an object .of the kinvention to provide a Sharpener whose complementary .abrasive elements are encased and supported `bye. `.pair of complementary metal memberslin such manner that, while the edge-sharpening cavitiesare exposed Afrom end to end, said abrasive elements .are bodily maintained in rigid alignment. Y

The complete device comprises two 'identical abrasive elements or whetstones andftwojdenitical casing members. .A compound bevel fis termed along two longitudinal `marginsof eachstone, A

Ver-

. nieuwe (el. 51-214) recess is also formed in one side of each stone near one end thereof.y Each casing member is /provilded with a large opening in its body portion, a pair of integral flanges, and an integral extension or tongue portion of predetermined length and width.

` As will appear, when these four elements are assembled, there results a novel, compact, :and emcient device for use in sharpening knives `and the like, the abrasive components of which are protected and the sharpening cavities are their lengths.

`Additional features and advantages will be referred to in the description to follow, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred form of the invention is illustrated.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a right side elevational view thereof Fig. 3 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is .an `enlarged horizontal sectional view .taken on the line 4-4of Fig.-2;

Fig. 5 is a similar view on Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of one of the abrasive elements, perse.

exposed throughout the line 45-5 of ,Wl The assembled sharpening device is indicated as 351 porting members a whole `by the numeral It is seen to comprise two similar .pairs of complementary elements, including a pair of stones or `abrasive members il, and a pair of casing or stone-sup- I,2, the vlatter being of metal.

As ,particularly portrayed in Figs. 4, 5`and 6, each abrasive member H .is preferably of generally rectangular horizontal cross ,section throughout its length, that is to say, from its flat y; end I3 toits at end I4.

Une side .l5 of each abrasive vmember Il 'is flat throughout itslength,y except vthat adjacent the end I4 there is formed 'therein a recessed portion 1G.

As shown in 'the drawing, each recess 'I6 is perpendicularly disposed relative the ends I3 and of said abrasive member and is of elongated contour, the width thereof being calculated to snugly receive an extension of .one of said casing members |2,.as will appear. i

The opposite side f1ofleach.abrasivemember is 'likewise flat throughout its length, except that a compound bevelportion is provided along its opposite margins, eachsaid bevel portion extend-y ing `from end 'to end ofthe member 1|.

partially encased in metal, albeit It should now be apparent that a pair of abrasive elements I I placed in contiguous rela'- tion, with their sides I1 innermost, and their end and face portions in mutual alignment, will provide a convex blade-receiving cavity 22as well as a concave blade-receiving cavity 23.

The complementary pair of casing members I2, previously referred to, constitutes the means whereby the pair of abrasive members is rigidly maintained in proper alignment.

Each casing member I2 includes a flat side or body portion 24, whose lateral margins are bent at right angles thereto to provide angesZ and 26. The flange 25 is convexly curved so as to be engageable with the face portion 2U of the labrasive element II. The flange 26 is concavely curved so as to be'engageable with the face portion 2 Il of said abrasive element. i

Asbest seen in Fig. 2, a relatively large opening 2l is `formed in the body portion 24 of each casing member I2 to provide horizontal edges 28 for a purpose to be explained.

Each casing member I2 is also provided with an integral, relatively long extension or tongue portion 29 whose width coincides with, or is slightly less than, that of a recess IS. 1

The details of the assembled device are best portrayed in the vertical sectional view of Fig. S, and the horizontal lsectional View of Fig. 5. lt'is seen that the tongueportion or extension 29 of one casing member `I2 is of a length predetermined to span the ends I 3' and I4 of a pair of elements II, then to extend., to and engage about an edge 23 of the other casing memberwith its terminal portion entering the recess I6 of `the adjacent abrasive member.

' Similarly, the extension 29 of the second casing member spans the opposite ends I3 and I4 of the pair of elements II, then extends to and engages about an edge 28 of the rst casing member with its-,terminal portion entering the recess I of the adjacent abrasive member.

-It is thus seen that vthe two casing members are interlocked at opposite points about said abrasive members in a manner adapted to maintain the latter in rigid, aligned, and contiguous relation.

It should now be obvious that with theriovel ,j

arrangement portrayed, a compact, rigid, and efficient sharpening device is provided which, especially'from a manufacturing standpoint, is extremely simpleto produce in quantities. It is composed of a pair of identical abrasive elements I I and a pair of identical casings I2, the latter being interlocked to support and rigidly maintain thek former in proper position. j

In ,the assembled device, the recesses I6 of Athe elements II are oppositely disposed, as are the terminal portions 30 of the extensions 29.

For purposes of ready identification, the spanning vportion of the extension 29 which is disposed right-angularly to the body portion 24 of each lcasing is indicated bythe numeral 3I; that portion thereof which is disposed right-angularly 4 to the spanning portion is indicated by the numeral 32; the portion thereof which engages the edge 28 of the complementary casing is indicated by the numeral 33.

In use, the advantages inherent in the present invention are at once apparent. The concave cavity 23 lends itself readily to sharpening convexly contoured cutting edges of cutlery from end tovend, simultaneously obviating their deformation.y The bevels I9 are provided to facilitate insertion of blades.

The convex cavity 22 lends itself readily to sharpening cutlery whose concavely contoured cutting edges are the result of prior sharpening operations in which rdevices other than the "present one were employed, as well as to cutlery wherein a concave edge is desired.

Whereas the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, modications regarding the degree of curvature and other details may be had without departure from the spiritof the invention.

Whatis claimed isz, 1

1. In a sharpening device of the character described, a pair of similar opposed abrasive members, a pairi of metal ,casing members about said abrasivemembersto maintain them in contiguous aligned relation, a convex longitudinal face and a concave longitudinal face formed on each abrasive member, a compound bevel portion along each longitudinal margin of the opposed nat sides of' each abrasive member, the first pair of opposed compound bevel portions forming a convexly contoured sharpening cavity centrally of the convex faces, and the second pair of opposed compound bevel portions forming a concavely contoured sharpening cavity centrally of the concave faces of said abrasive members. 2. A sharpening device of the character described comprising two similar whetstones and two similar metal casing members; each whetstone being of generally re-ctangular cross-section from end to end, each end being flat, one edge of each said whetstone being convexly contoured, theother edge being concavely contoured; one side of each stone being at throughout except' for an elongated perpendicular recess therein formed adjacent one of said flat ends, the opposite side of each stone being .dat throughout with its longitudinal marginal portions each ter- ,casing member, and to thereafter engage about oneoi` the horizontal edgesof said opening in the lattenwith its terminal portion entering and engaging the elongated recess of the whetstone adjacent thereto.` y y '3,V A blade sharpening device comprising a pair of similar'abrasive elements and a pair of similar abrasive element including two opposed `flat side portions, two opposed flat end portions, and twoopposed arcuately formed edge portions, a convex longitudinally extending beveled portionalong one margin ofone dat side portion ,of each'abrasive element, a concave longitudinally extending beveled portion along the other margin of said flat side portion, each of said beveled portions extending from end to end of the abrasive element; each casing including a flanged body portion and means integral therewith adapted to cooperate With means on each abrasive element for interlocking the casings about the abrasive elements and maintaining the latter in rigid alined contiguous relation; and a pair of opposed edge-sharpening cavities provided by the contiguous disposition of said pairs of beveled marginal portions.

4. In a sharpening device of the character described, a pair of similar abrasive members and a pair of similar casing members interlocked at opposite points about the former to maintain them in rigid contiguous alined position relative one another, a convexly contoured edge and a concavely contoured edge included in each abrasive member, a rst compound bevel portion and a second compound bevel portion on each abrasive member extending longitudinally from end to end thereof, the rst bevel portion being formed along one longitudinal marginal edge of one side of each abrasive member, the second bevel portion being formed along the other longitudinal edge of the same side of each abrasive member, and oppositely disposed blade receiving cavities formed by a pair of said rst and a pair of said second bevel, portions.

CHARLES GRAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

